What Portfolio Size?

[Playdo 0]

What portfolio size goes down best with employers? I'd have thought A3 but full page render times seem a bit excessive (apprx 4000 x 2800 pxls). What's standard?

[Playdo 0]

Anyone?

[Cyberdemon 17]

11x17" is a good standard. Try using indesign for your page layout. The files will be much smaller than trying to do it all in Photoshop.

[engio 1]

Standard is to layout multiple images on a page to explain your idea and/or process, NOT showing poster size images.

Meaning an A3 page does not force you to produce gigantic renders, only fewer pages to show your stuff.

[KQD 0]

To be honest I don't use printed material anymore - just screen based stuff as a pdf.

 

Acrobat 8 onwards (the paid for versions) has a fantastic feature called PDF Portfolios where you can literally drag and drop files - images/CAD files/pdfs etc - and Acrobat sorts it all into a slide show type affair that you can click through with a navigation tree as well. As you add new stuff just add it to the pdf - or remove it. Keeps it all self contained and easy to update. Now when I'm showing work to a new prospect I can do the general stuff then focus in on projects they are likely to be more interested in seeing.

 

In any case when you render out there is no need to go about 150dpi for anything other than litho printing. Anything that is intended to be printed ona desktop inkjet or laser, 150 dpi is more than enough for A3 and A4 output. If you are going up to A1 or A2, 100dpi is fine. Above that and 80dpi is fine. Printers will not thank you for sending them an A0 size print artwork at 300dpi!

 

For actual presentation reports I use Indesign and output to pdf so these can be incoprporated into the portfolio mentioned above as and when.